Clare’s Law launched on International Women’s Day

Scheme lets police tell you if your partner has domestic violence record

LAST UPDATED AT 07:47 ON Sat 8 Mar 2014

A scheme which allows you to discover if your partner has a history of domestic violence has been introduced in England and Wales.

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme permits police to disclose information on request concerning a partner’s track record of domestic violence or other aggressive acts.

The initiative – known as Clare’s Law after Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009 – has been launched to coincide with International Women’s Day.

It has already been trialled in four areas - Greater Manchester, Gwent, Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire - since September 2012. The Home Office says the pilots have provided more than 100 people with potentially life-saving information.

Clare Wood, 39, was strangled and set on fire by her partner at her home in Salford in 2009. Her partner, George Appleton, had a record of violence against women.

Her father, Michael Brown, has campaigned for the introduction of the ‘right to know’ scheme. He says his daughter would still be alive had she known the full details of Appleton’s violent background.

Brown said he was "absolutely delighted" that the scheme had come into force. He added: “I'm sure my daughter would be up there clapping."

Launching the initiative, home secretary Theresa May said: “I am determined to see a society where violence against women and girls is not tolerated, where people speak out, and where no woman or girl has to suffer domestic abuse."